Tuesday, 26 February 2019

UNITED Family International Church (UFIC) leader Prophet
Emmanuel Makandiwa has been implicated in a case in which five men were
reportedly kidnapped and tortured for allegedly stealing gold ore from Havilah
Gold Mine in Mutoko, which is believed to be owned by the clergyman.

Lloyd Sande (24), Godknows Mhungu (21), Bornface Mudzonga
(29), Julius Mudzonga (age not given) and Clever Masango (20) reside in villages
around Mutawatawa Shopping Centre and were employed at the mine, which is
commonly known as “KwaMakandiwa”.

They were reportedly subjected to inhuman and degrading
treatment involving battery, immersion in water and electrocution.

They were also allegedly beaten with rifle butts, batons
and other objects. The assailants also issued death threats, extracted
confessions and confiscated property from the victims.

The assailants in the matter — led by the mine’s security
officer Garikai Murambidzi — claimed to be members of the Zimbabwe Republic
Police’s Serious Frauds Section and later Central Intelligence Organisation
(CIO), according to lawyers representing the five.

They purported to be acting on behalf of Prophet Makandiwa
to recover the gold ore following a heist that allegedly took place on or
around December 17 last year.

The victims later made reports to Mutawatawa Police
Station, but the assailants were not arrested.

In a letter to Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga
dated February 14, 2019, the victims’ legal team from Harare firm, Chinawa Law
Chambers, outlined the grave circumstances of the matter detailing how the
assaults had taken place between January 24 and 25 this year.

“Our clients were warned that the assault would not stop
and they would not be released but would be killed instead unless if they
admitted that they were the ones who had stolen Makandiwa’s gold,” reads the
letter.

The lawyers says that the five, fearing for their lives,
made confessions to their accusers but the case fell through after it went for
due process.

“Our clients were detained at the police station from
January 25-27. They were arraigned before the Mutawatawa Magistrates Court
whereupon the state declined to prosecute the matter due to insufficient
evidence,” said the lawyers.

“Our clients managed to identify one of the four men as
Joseph Dzomba, a retired police officer who is now a personal bodyguard and
security personnel for prophet Makandiwa,” said the lawyers.

They are demanding an investigation into how police handled
the matter.“Our clients also consider it appropriate to demand an
investigation into the manner in which Mr Mafumbate the Officer in-charge has
acted as it amounts to connivance with accused persons and shielding them from
arrest and interference with investigations and due process of law.

“Our clients now live in fear and still receive suspicious
anonymous calls from the perpetrators victimizing them